Chennai, May 5 : Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar accepted the resignation of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and his Council of Ministers, and requested him to continue in office as caretaker CM until alternative arrangements are made.

According to an official release issued from Lok Bhavan on Tuesday, the Governor has asked Stalin to remain in charge until a new government is sworn in, in keeping with constitutional convention.

Stalinâ??s resignation came in the wake of a significant electoral setback for the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in the recently concluded Assembly elections. Sources said the resignation letter was submitted to the Governor shortly after the results made it clear that the alliance had fallen well short of the majority mark.

The DMK-led alliance managed to secure only 73 seats in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, far below the halfway mark of 118. The DMK itself, which contested 164 constituencies, won only around 60 seats, marking a sharp decline from its previous performance and pushing the party into the Opposition.

In a major personal setback, Stalin also lost his long-held Kolathur constituency, which he had represented since 2011. He was defeated by V.S. Babu of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), making him one of the rare sitting Chief Ministers in Tamil Nadu to lose an Assembly election.

The last such instance dates back to 1996, when former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa was defeated.

Babuâ??s victory is seen as politically significant, given his past association with the DMK before switching sides. His win in Kolathur reflects a broader shift in voter sentiment and the changing political landscape in the State.

The election has thrown up a fractured mandate, with actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay is leading the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) to emerge as the single largest party, though it remains short of a majority.

With post-poll negotiations underway, attention has now turned to the formation of the next government.

Meanwhile, Stalin is likely to take on the role of Leader of Opposition as the DMK begins internal discussions to analyse its electoral setback and plan its future course.

/IANS